Chapter 40 - Jenna

Lev and I stayed at the resort for the next two days while we waited for Katie and the baby to be released from the hospital. Little Alina Marjorie, named after Aleks's grandmother and our aunt, was a tad jaundiced, and they wanted to keep her for observation just to make sure.

Except for visiting hours, which I spent glued to my first niece's crib, Lev and I hardly left the suite. It was like a mini honeymoon. Every time a serious thought crossed my mind, he somehow noticed and kissed away my worries.

"Put everything on the back burner for now," he told me when I thought about my classes. "There's nothing we can't work out."

I believed him wholeheartedly and was happy to let him take control, at least until we were back in San Francisco. The one thing I couldn't get out of my mind, no matter how distracting his touch was, were the Hardys. What had become of the people who had plotted both of our murders? When I asked where they ended up, or what Max was doing to them, Lev would only say he hadn't decided their fates yet. He got such a dark look in his eyes at the very mention of their names I didn't dare ask again.

"I just can't help but feel a little responsible," I said over room service as we sat in bed.

He shook his head vehemently. "Don't. You didn't know what they were."

I tried to apologize again, but he stopped me with a finger to my lips, and then a long, slow kiss. "Clean slate? For both of us. Do you want me to keep apologizing for my part in this?"

Since I'd forgiven him completely, I let it go and dropped the subject of the Hardys completely. It was a blissful interlude I didn't want to end.

Nataliye thought the fact that Lev and I were together was hilarious, now that everything was calm enough to laugh. There was no bitterness in her at all that I secretly married her favorite uncle. She admitted it had taken her too long to accept her father and Katie being together, but now she was all in, seeing how happy they made each other. She also adored being a big sister, not just taking it in stride that she was twenty-two years older than her new sibling but raving about how perfect the baby was.

"If Katie dares to act mad about you two, she's a raging hypocrite," she said. "Same with my dad."

Aleks didn't seem to think he was being hypocritical at all, but he spent most of his time at the hospital with Katie and Alina. That was fine with me, since he was barely speaking to Lev and giving him filthy glares every time they accidentally crossed paths. All I could do was hope they didn't break any of each other's bones when they finally decided to hash things out.

By the time Katie and the baby were released, Max reappeared to take them back to LA on his private jet. He was close-lipped and inscrutable when I asked what was going on with the Hardys, only assuring me they wouldn't be a problem to us any longer. I loved that we were an "us" now, pleased that at least some of Lev's siblings accepted our relationship. Now that I had decided I was in, I was all in, and couldn't wait to prove myself.

Aleks flat out refused to take the short detour up to San Francisco with the plane, saying gruffly that we could find our own way home. As we all checked out of the resort, he gave me a disappointed look and Lev a furious glare before taking baby Alina from Katie to put her in her car seat.

"We're not done," Aleks said softly over the blanketed bundle to Lev. "But I want to get my daughter settled in at home before I draw your blood."

Lev opened his mouth, but I gripped his arm, squeezing hard to make him remember his promise. I didn't want him to tell anyone I was pregnant yet. Not until things were peaceful. It was clearly taking all his willpower not to blurt it out to get Aleks off his back, but for that same reason, I hadn't wanted Lev to feel beholden to me; I didn't want my brother-in-law to only accept our relationship because he felt he had to.

Katie held back, smiling as she observed Aleks strap Alina into the car seat. She gave me a big smile, free of any resentment. "I'm happy for you," she said. "I admit I was mad about the secrecy at first, but I know I had no right to be."

"Poor Aunt Marjorie missed another wedding," I said, feeling a little cheated myself. Now that I wanted to stay married to Lev with all my heart, I wanted the whole world to know it.

"We should plan a double wedding so she doesn't feel left out," Katie said. "As soon as I can fit back into my old clothes."

I laughed. By the time that happened, I'd be showing. "Maybe," I said noncommittally. "If Aleks ever calms down."

"I'll work on him," she promised. "It shouldn't take long since the only reason he has to be mad is on my behalf, and he'll figure out I'm really fine with it soon enough."

"I'm so glad you are," I said, tearing up as I hugged her.

She made me swear to come down for Spring Break, summer at the latest, and I readily agreed. They hadn't even pulled out of the resort parking lot yet and I already missed my niece.

Once we were back home, the first order of business was to invite Brooke over to my cozy cottage mansion. I hadn't seen my best friend in far too long, and I was sick of keeping all those secrets from her. I spilled everything as soon as she was settled with a tall glass of iced tea out in the garden. The quickie wedding, the fake internship, and even the baby. It felt amazing getting it all out in the open.

Until she started laughing hard enough to bust a gut, refusing to believe it wasn't a practical joke.

"I swear it's true," I said.

She still didn't believe me, so I had to find Lev, who was working in his office, and get him to come out and back me up. When we returned to the lavish patio holding hands, she still thought it was a joke he was taking part in, only finally believing when he swept me into his arms and gave me a searing kiss in front of her.

"It's all true," he said, his hand resting on my belly.

"Well, um, congrats?" she said, her jaw hanging. She became suddenly shy in front of him, so he left us to finish our visit. Once it was just us again, I begged her not to be mad.

"It all happened so fast," I said. "It's such a long story, but it'll have to be for another time since you have your evening class."

The only thing I hadn't yet revealed was what Lev did for a living. She only knew about the lobbying company, but I didn't want to spring too much on her at once. She looked like she might skip her class to hear all about it, but I hustled her out with promises that I wouldn't be so elusive now that she knew the truth. She was my best friend in the whole world, and eventually, I'd give her every last detail, but it was a lot to digest, and I wouldn't let her miss a class when there was plenty of time. She was still serious about school.

As for me, it wasn't as if I was no longer serious about my education. It was more that the semester had gone completely to hell due to all my stress. I had let so many of my classes fall to the wayside that there was no way I could catch up.

"You can do whatever you want," Lev told me when we'd discussed it on the ride home from Monterey. The closer we got, the more he could tell my stress level was rising. "I'm not going to push you to put things on hold. I'm just concerned about your health. And the baby."

At the time, I had been reticent, and I was not sure I was ready to give up. Remembering this conversation made me make my final decision, and I found him in the kitchen, putting together the dinner our chef had left for us.

"I'm not giving up," I said.

He raised an eyebrow, and paused with the chicken dish halfway out of its fridge container. He looked so adorably domestic and not at all like a ruthless mafia lord that I rushed to his side and hugged him.

"What's this about? What aren't you giving up?"

"School," I said, rushing to explain before he could grumble. "But I'm going to drop everything for at least this semester. Long enough to reassess what I want and start fresh in the fall."

It was exactly what he'd suggested, and he was totally shocked that I had agreed with him. He had the good grace not to be smug about his victory, only tightening his arms around me.

"Whatever you want," he said. "You know I only want you to be happy." He patted my belly. "And healthy."

"I know," I said, resting my chin on his chest and looking up at him with a smile. "It's one of the things I love about you."

My cheeks burned as his eyes darkened. "What else do you love?" he asked.

"You say it first," I demanded, feeling utterly ridiculous. We both laughed at how silly it was. "We're married and going to have a baby, and we still haven't—"

He cut me off with a kiss, so deep and soulful I felt it to my toes. When he pulled back, his eyes shone as clear as a summer sky and just as blue.

"I love you, Jenna," he said. "I've loved you since the moment I saw you, and I'll love you for the rest of my days."

Those annoying tears that continued to plague me started to well up in my eyes, and I clung to his waist, beaming up at him as he gently wiped them from my cheeks.

"I love you too. I'm sorry it took so long to figure out, but it's always been there. I love being yours, Lev."

He laughed joyfully, lifting me off my feet. "Good," he said. "It doesn't matter that it took a little while. We're forever, baby, and I'm glad you finally figured it out."

"Forever," I whispered as he pulled me close for another kiss.